Not one to let RSI get in the way of life, Lynette Hassall forged on and carved herself a cracking career in education, clinical apps and now reaps the rewards with an incredibly varied role working in POCUS for FujiFilm Sonosite.
Tell us about your sono background
I completed the DMU (General) in 1994, and then did Pt 1 of the Vascular DMU. I didn’t complete the Vascular DMU, as it would have meant taking a job at a vascular lab in Brisbane (not feasible with a young child). I worked for South Coast Radiology on the Gold Coast until 2002, with a brief period working back in Sydney during this time. I worked in general practice, doing anything that came through the door – Vascular, Obstetric, Gynae, Small Parts, Abdominal, MSK etc – at that time if we didn’t know how to do something, we looked it up in a text book (no Google then ) and went for it. I also worked in an independent imaging practice on the Gold Coast for another two years. I had severe Tenosynovitis in my wrist, and spent the last year of this working in a wrist brace.
How did you come to be working with FujiFilm SonoSite?
After my wrist injury, I needed to keep working, and did not want to lose all the knowledge I had gained, and effort I had put in to my career, but with a wrist injury, I looked to teaching to continue and maintain my clinical knowledge. I became the Course Co-ordinator at QUT FROM 2004-2005, then went to work at the AIU. During this time I completed two Post Graduate Adult Education Courses, the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, which led to a Masters in Learning Innovation. A position as a Clinical Applications person for Sonosite came up in 2008, and the local rep at the time approached me and asked me to apply. I was fortunate to be offered the role and I have been with Sonosite (now Fujifilm Sonosite) since 2008. I was promoted to Clinical Manager in 2014.
What do you do day to day and what parts do you enjoy the most?
Apart from the inevitable admin tasks, I am very active in clinical training, and support for our customers. I also assist the sales team with demos, equipment installs, training for both external customers and internal team members, workshops, (both as the facilitator and as a tutor), conferences, follow-ups with customers, support for the sales and marketing team, consulting with the service team, troubleshooting issues, writing ‘How To’ guides. Every day is different. I travel extensively, both within and outside of Australia. I have been to many countries such as Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Nepal, New Zealand, Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, Thursday Island and the United States in my role as clinical support. I have been to every capital city in Australia many times, and been to such remote locations as Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing, Meekatharra, Mt Isa, Mildura, Dubbo, Theodore and Barcaldine. My job includes interacting with clinicians across all hospital areas as well as general practice, nurse practitioners, renal dialysis nurses, PICC teams, ICU specialists, ED physicians, rehabilitation physicians, anaesthetists, pain medicine doctors, podiatrists, physiotherapists, aesthetic physicians – in fact, anyone who uses point of care ultrasound in any capacity. It is varied and very interesting, and really keeps me learning every day. I enjoy the travel, the fact that I am not stuck in a little dark room, the interactions with the Point of Care clinicians, and the whole variety of the job.
Do you miss clinical work?
I did initially, but my wrist was so bad I just could not keep scanning, I had to look for an alternative to utilize my skills and training, but with FujiFilm Sonosite, the interactions with clinicians and the training and support I provide for our customers, is still a contribution to patient safety and care.
What advice would you give to a sono interested in an alternative to straight clinical roles?
Try it out – if you are injured, or even if you aren’t, there is always an alternative to scanning, try training or teaching, or tutoring at the local university. Even if you just need some time out away from direct patient contact. Contact your local Emergency Department, there are roles for Sonographer Educators in the Emergency Department (SEED roles), the emergency doctors will really keep you on your toes, and they really appreciate your skill and experience. Look at administration roles, look for Clinical Applications roles, the role is different for Radiology Ultrasound systems to a POCUS environment. Be open to new experiences and change. Be flexible and enjoy what you do.
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